There are numerous devices and methods for ascertaining characteristics of materials used in injection molding processes. For example, a device and a method for determining rheological material data of polymers are described in German Patent Application No. DE 197 15 630 A1, the device being provided for coupling, for example, to an extruder. The device has a flow channel in a housing which is used as the measuring section, pressure and temperature sensors being provided in the area of the measuring section, the device having an outlet nozzle at the free end of the measuring section, a heating element which heats the flow channel and a temperature control device, the temperature control device controlling a heating and cooling circuit which has a fluid heat transfer medium, the diameter of the flow channel between the inlet opening of the flow channel and the outlet nozzle having a uniform diameter. The method is used to control heat transfer with the goal of increasing the process stability of the injection molding process.
The disadvantage of devices and methods of this type is that ascertaining material-dependent data is complex and produces inaccurate results.